Sociotechnical Systems Approach to BIM Implementation in a Multidisciplinary Construction Context

Abstract

The implementation of rapidly evolving building information modeling (BIM) technology is widely seen to increase the level of integration within the construction sector. However, even with the plethora of research and investment in the development and deployment of BIM, its use is not mainstream construction practice and the practicality of the implementation process is not well understood. The purpose of this paper is to explore the implementation of BIM through a sociotechnical systems (STS) perspective, with particular focus on multidisciplinary intraorganizational construction organization. The paper uses a case study approach to analyze the introduction of BIM in a multidisciplinary construction organization that has recently undergone a transition in its BIM implementation process. The STS approach demonstrates how technological implementation and its effects cannot be understood separately from the context of the implementing organization. The analysis shows that, due to the nature of the construction work context (highly collaborative, heterogeneous, and peculiar nature of projects), an acceptable BIM process can only be achieved through purposeful negotiation of intervention plans that fully support the multiple end users’ goals. The paper uses the Leavitt sociotechnical model to analyze the alignment process of multiple interest groups in a BIM-enabled intraorganizational construction context. The analysis offers rich insights into how and why a BIM solution can be optimized and why the alignment is difficult and unfolds in unpredictable ways. The study concludes that the normally held logics of successful linear adaptation of standard tools to institutional patterns do not hold in the construction context; rather, BIM users must be positioned as constant-loop learners to acquaint with the ever-evolving BIM artifacts and the concomitant work processes to maintain the systems alignment.